Anchor



ANCHOR Filed Jan. 13, 1944 F/Q. l

IN VEN rofi` CHESTER R. P/EPE/ BY La ATTORNEY Patentecl Feb. 5, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ANCHOR Chester R. Pieper, Warrenton, Mo. Application January 13, 1944, Serial No. 518,059

(Cl. MEQ- 92) Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in anchors for securing the ends of guy cables and the like, and particularly to improvements in expansion type guy anchors. Such anchors are chiefly characterized by blade members which are adapted to be folded together to permit the anchor to be installed in a previously formed hole of relatively small diameter, and thereafter to be extended laterally to penetrate and obtain anchorage in the undisturbed earth at the sides of the hole.

The principal object of my invention is to provide an improved anchor of the type aforesaid, the invention being chiey directed to improvements which simplify the construction and reduce the manufacturing costs of the anchor. This object is accomplished by an improved sheet metal blade structure formed as a single, integral stamping, and wherein special provisions for hinge connections between the individual blades, such as are employed in former expansion anchors, are entirely eliminated.

Other objects reside in the provision of an improved strain plate which functions to reinforce the blade arms to distribute the load forces uniformly thereto, and to lock the blade arms in distended positions; and the provision of an improved cap plate which overlies the inner ends of the blades and serves to receive and transmit thereto impact forces applied for spreading and setting the blades.

These and other objects and advantages of my improved anchor construction will appear from the following description wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the earth anchor with the blade'arms distended;

Fig, 2 is a side elevational view of the device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows the device with the blade arms in folded positions;

Fig. 4 is a side view of plate, and

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the bottom, or strain plate.

Referring now to the drawing by characters of reference, my improved anchor embodies a blade the cap or percussion structure having blade arms or earth-engaging lobes designated IIJ, a bottom disc II is attached the anchor rod I2, cussion plate I3.

The blade arms or lobes I0 are formed integrally, preferably from a single oblong piece of heavy gage sheet metal. In forming the blades the oblong sheet metal blank is provided with a cento which and a cap or pertral opening I4, which opening may be rectangular as shown and elongated in the direction of the transverse axis of the blank, In producing the opening I4, metal lips I5 extending along opposite sides of-such opening are folded back upon the adjacent metal, these lips forming abutments for the percussion plate I3 and serving to strengthen and rigidify those areas which receive the impactive blows applied for spreading the blade arms. Substantially T-shaped recesses I6 in the side edges of the blank are alined withthe central opening I4 in the'transverse axis of the blade unit. There remains between openings I4 and I6 relatively narrow necks of metal I1 by which the blade arms I0 are integrally united.

The blades I0 have rounded end margins I8 and are curved longitudinally as shown. These features enable the blades to be driven cleanly and with a minimum of disturbance into the earth at the sides of a hole preformed to receive them, the blades being constrained to an accurate path of movement as they are spread apart from the initial, compact arrangement appearing in Fig. 3, to the distended positions shown in Fig. 2. The blades are considerably strengthened by the formation therein of longitudinal ribs, certain thereof, designated I 9, protruding from the upper surface of the blades, and others, designated 20, being depressed below the normal plane of the blade. Shoulders ZI are produced at the inner ends of ribs 2U, and after the blade arms are distended these shoulders seat against the circumferential edge of the bottom disc II whereby the blade arms are caused to be locked in distended position.

The bottom disc II is preferably a casting and is formed to provide fiat top surface 23 which slopes downwardly from a diametral ridge 24, toward opposite sides of the disc. A central opening 25 is surrounded by a depending annular flange 26, and parallel ribs 28 traverse the under surface of the disc. These ribs are located so as to be in alinement with the blade ribs 20 and serve to reinforce the disc against lateral compressive forces imparted thereto by the blades. It will be seen that the anchor rod I2 extends through the opening 25 in the bottom disc, which member is retained on the rod by a nut 21.

The top plate I3 is attached to the blade member by means of end lugs 28 which extend through the openings I6 and are bent under the adjacent neck portions I'I. A central opening 29 in plate I3 accommodates the anchor rod I2 which is at al1 times held centered with respect to the larger opening I4 in the blade unit. The top plate further aids in maintaining a uniform angular re- Y lationship between the anchor rod and the several blade arms lil as the latter are'being'expanded. Additionally, the top plate I3 serves as abut the adjacent under surfaces of the blade and the shoulders 22 engage theV periphery of the disc, whereby to prevent collapsing of the blade arms when tension is applied to the rodIZ. Theplate i3 has another function in that it pressesdownwardly on the extreme inner endso'f "the blade' arms and resists the tendency of the inner portion `of the blade arms to rise off of they bottom disc when an Vupward forceisrappliedl tothe rod. It will b e understood that yafter'tlne anchory has been expanded, soil is packediinrplace-about the rod'and over theplategiS., .,Theweig'ht and resnlstance'ofY the earth presses downwardly on plate I3A and acts through plate', I3 on theinner :exe trernities oi thejblade arms, thusincreasing'the effectiveness and holding 'poweri of the anchor.

`vHaving described i my "improvement fwhat I claim andv desire "to" secure 4by Letters APatent is: earth anchor including. an anchorrod and a spreader discthereon, an' expansible blade structure on the rod 'above-the spreader. disc, comprising an elongate sheet metal stamping having a central, opening, Vand openings spaced on oppositesidesof said central opening' a top plateo'v'erlying the central areawof said stampingysaid top platephaving an opening through which: the an- Chor rod extends and depending. lugsiat'opposite endsthat extend through and embrace marginal portions o'f said side openings;U A

4 2,. An earth anchor. of expansion type comprising an integral blade structure lia-ving oppositely t disposed lobal portions, a rod extending-centrally through the blade structure, a `strainfplatesecured to' said rod below thef'blade's'tructureand a percussion plate slidable 'on said rod-said per'- c'u'ssion plate havingintegral lugs at4 opposite ends depending ,through openings-in thefblade struc'- tureandj serving tof secure and 'x the Aposition ofjsaid-` percussion; plate relativel to;` the blade v Y a rr...

3. An earth anchor of expansion type, opposed blades connected together vby bendable straps integral therewith, the inner marginal portionV of said blades being turned back to provide a reinforced striking edge, a strain plate, projections on the under blade surfaces for engaging said strain plate, a rod secured to the strain plate and extending through an opening in the blade structure, said opening being located between said reenforced inner. margins; and a percussion plate having ari-lopening through which'saidrod extends, said percussion plate opening being of size snugly to accommodatesaid rod, and means connecting said percussion plate to the blade 'struc- 4*.WAnearth anchor of expansion type, com- 'prisinga blade structure formed of sheet metal "an'd having opposed lobes interconnected by spaced neck portions formed integrallywith the lobesan anchor rod extending through the space between 'saidneck portions5 `ya strain plate secured to 'the rodbelow the-blade structure, p plate mounted 'on the-rodabvetliebia e tiireji'said` permission' plate having depending ugs engaging -sa'idsn'eckportions;- `thev inner marginal portions or the lobesbeing'dublediback t abutments-for' said'percuss'ion'plate' 'f' Y V v5. -In an earth an'ehorof expansion typ'e-,a blade structure i comprising ahi "integral *sheet drietal stampingl'formedto vprovide oppositely disposed earth-engaging lobes interconnected by a pair-of laterally 'spaced `neck prtions-,- said lobes having longitudinally extending yreinforcingl ribs; V'certain thereof projecting *below* the bottor'nlsurfae of the lobes/and: providing locking shouldersl'at their nn'erend's', innermarginalv porti'orisf Saidl'dbes' being bentv outwardly' t0' provide-reinforcing jbitment-flanges; -aniancho'r rod extending' 'ugh the 'blade `structure 'between said neckfportins' a strain'f'platesecured tothe lower erid'fofsai'drod, said strain 'plate being' 'adapted to margiriallly engage the locking shoulders on thelobesswh 'e'b'y tousecure said lobes in extended position; er-

CHESTER' Ri. HEBER;

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